Will LASIK Last Forever?

How Long Will My LASIK Last?

Things that last forever: A diamond? A cast-iron skillet? That carton of eggnog that’s been in the fridge since Christmas?! Gross! But will LASIK last forever?

There aren’t many things that truly go the distance when you stop and think about it.

But there is one thing that really does last forever. LASIK

No, really.

One of the most common FAQs about LASIK surgery goes something like this: “Does LASIK wear off?” Or “How long will LASIK Last?”

At ICON Eyecare, we love LASIK. And we love talking to people about LASIK. We firmly believe an educated patient is a happy patient. So bring on the questions. We have answers.

How Long Will LASIK Last?

It’s a fair enough concern, people thinking that LASIK is not permanent and that it may only last a few years. Allow us to permanently (see what we did there?) set the record straight.

The reality is, LASIK permanently reshapes your cornea – eliminating or correcting your nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism in the process.

After LASIK surgery, those imperfections are gone. So the idea that a patient’s eyes can “regress” following LASIK doesn’t really make any sense.

However, what does happen on rare occasions is a patient’s myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness) can progress. For this reason, at ICON Eyecare, we have very strict parameters for LASIK candidacy where age is concerned.

The ideal LASIK age is not a specific number, but you should be at least 18 years of age to have LASIK surgery. In fact, LASIK is FDA-approved only for those who are 18 and older. But sometimes it’s better to wait even longer.

Why?

The primary reason there’s a minimum age requirement for LASIK is to increase the likelihood that your eyes are stable and your refractive error — the amount of nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism you have — is unlikely to change after you have your LASIK surgery.

In particular, most people who are interested in LASIK are nearsighted, and myopia can worsen throughout childhood and even into early adulthood.

For this reason, it’s best for you to have annual eye exams for at least two years prior to LASIK surgery and for your vision prescription to be stable for at least one year before proceeding with vision correction surgery.

Studies show the most common LASIK age, in fact, falls between the ages of 20 and 40. Most eye surgeons agree the ideal LASIK surgery age is between 25–40 years old. By age 25, your prescription should have stabilized.

One other area of confusion that causes some individuals to wonder if LASIK wears off is an age-related condition called presbyopia, or Over-40 Vision. This is when you find you need reading glasses to see your phone messages/book/menu.

LASIK doesn’t prevent or cause presbyopia and it happens to most everyone.  Presbyopia typically begins somewhere around the age of 40. The lens of the eye – not the cornea that was reshaped with LASIK, but the lens behind the cornea – loses its ability to focus on objects nearby.

If you’ve been thinking about LASIK surgery, what’s stopping you? Visit us at ICON Eyecare and have all your questions answered and all your fears put to rest.  

At ICON Eyecare, a Center of Excellence, our experienced surgeons have helped thousands of patients achieve better vision. Many of these patients have chosen our popular Blade-Free LASIK. To schedule your LASIK surgery appointment, simply call 720.414.5310 today.